3.6

Almost crawling, she made her way to the bathroom.  

‘…Who are you?’  

The unfamiliar creature staring back at her in the mirror smelled faintly of fish.  

Why is there a carp here…?  

The thought that he had seen her in this state crossed her mind, but after all the ridiculous things she had done, she couldn’t even feel embarrassed anymore.  

Ugh, ugh.

‘You’re insane, Rafaella…’  

But as soon as she stepped into the bathroom, the memory of barging in on him while he was n*ked came rushing back. Ella shuddered again. She wanted to go back to bed, pull the blanket over her head, and kick at the sheets, but she forced herself to focus and washed her face instead.  

Back in the room, Ella adjusted her clothes and tried to collect her thoughts.  

‘When someone doesn’t get angry, it’s for one of two reasons: either it’s not worth getting angry about, or they’re used to it. There’s no way barging into the bathroom and causing a scene isn’t worth getting angry over, so…’  

He must be used to this!  

As if she had come to a great realization, Ella snapped her fingers.  

Now that she thought about it, he was someone who could spend the night with a stranger even when sober.  

And he was incredibly skilled in bed.  

Ella didn’t have much experience with men, but based on her own and her friends’ stories, the kind of excitement he brought was definitely out of the ordinary.  

After her first experience left her a little disappointed, Shua had once told her, ‘Passionate, mind-blowing s*x only exists in fantasies.’ She had believed that until she met Shyle.  

But last night…  

Ahem.  

As the memories of their passionate night resurfaced, Ella felt her face grow hot and cleared her throat unnecessarily.  

‘And this morning, he came onto me so naturally…’

How many women had he been with to be this experienced? No wonder his skills were exceptional…  

Ella nodded to herself.  

Yes, he seemed like someone who lived with a carefree attitude, so he’d probably accept her apology without much fuss.  

Having sorted her thoughts, Ella waited for him with a more relaxed expression.  

***

Adolf, on the other hand, had no idea what conclusion Ella had reached as he busied himself.  

‘This is embarrassing.’  

For a moment, he had worried that she might not remember what had happened. But now that he realized she would recall even his clumsy moments, Adolf felt a bit shy. His cheeks flushed. He quickened his steps, eager to see her face again.  

Hurrying along, he soon arrived at the tavern’s front door. Fortunately, it was open. Adolf entered, stepping into the bustling tavern where preparations for the day’s business were underway.  

“…”  

The atmosphere inside grew cold in an instant. A half-n*ked giant with a flushed face had just pushed open the door. He already looked intimidating at a glance, but seeing him shirtless made him seem monstrous.  

As expected, there was no sign of the woman. The tavern owner, who had been avoiding the backroom out of fear of running into him, now wore a look of dismay.  

‘He killed her…’  

The tavern owner’s thoughts spiraled. 

I hadn’t even paid off the loan for this place yet…  

The faces of his cunning wife and rabbit-like children flashed before his eyes. 

What would they eat now? 

As he sank into despair, Adolf spoke.  

“You there.”  

The tavern owner flinched and quickly responded.  

“Yes, Sir Knight.”  

“Thank you for yesterday.”  

Adolf offered his thanks. He wasn’t one for words, so he kept it short but sincere. Then he untied the pouch from his belt and handed over a gold coin.  

The tavern owner, confused about what he was being thanked for, nonetheless accepted the coin with delight. It was a month’s worth of income, after all.  

“She hasn’t eaten breakfast… Could you prepare something simple for her? We’ll leave after eating. Also, do you have any spare clothes here?”  

Adolf mentioned the woman.  

Wait, so… she’s alive?  

Realizing she was still alive, the tavern owner silently cheered.  

Honey! I’ll work even harder now!  

“Of course, Sir! Please wait a moment.”  

The tavern owner quickly fetched a tunic and handed it over. Adolf accepted it, put it on, and sat comfortably at the bar, waiting for the food. He tapped his fingers on the table and glanced around the tavern. Occasionally, he watched the tavern owner’s hands, marveling at his speed.  

The tavern owner, feeling the weight of Adolf’s gaze on his hands, worked twice as fast as usual, whipping up an omelet and toasting bread and sausages.  

Despite the delicious smell wafting through the air, Adolf felt no hunger. His mind was entirely preoccupied with her.  

‘Come to think of it, I don’t even know her name.’  

Impatient to return to her, he fidgeted in his seat.  

The tavern owner, noticing Adolf’s restless movements, hurriedly finished the meal with lightning speed.  

“Here you go, Sir Knight.”  

Wow, that was fast.  

Lost in thoughts of her, Adolf was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the food was ready. He smiled broadly as he took the plate, but to the tavern owner, that smile seemed to ask, ‘Is this the best you can do?’

Ignoring the tavern owner’s nervous gaze, Adolf grabbed the plate and a bottle of juice and headed for the door.  

Once Adolf disappeared from view, the tavern owner, drenched in cold sweat, finally exhaled. His strength drained, and he collapsed into a chair. As the tension eased, Adolf’s earlier words came back to him.  

‘So they were together this whole time? Even eating lunch together…?’  

Piecing everything together, the tavern owner reached one conclusion.  

‘Are they smitten with each other?’  

Even after she vomited all over him?  

Ha.  

The tavern owner shook his head, dismissing his absurd thoughts. But then he felt uneasy again.  

Then why the meal…?  

As he tried to make sense of it, the intimidating man’s face flashed in his mind.  

Could it be… a hostage situation?  

The tavern owner shuddered. Determined not to think too deeply, he reached for the vegetables he had been chopping.  

***

Knock, knock.  

“Lady, may I come in?”  

“Yes…”  

Adolf opened the door and entered. Ella was sitting quietly on the bed, waiting for him. Her slightly damp hair suggested she had washed up, reminding him of the events of the previous night. His mind was still stuck in that moment.  

Adolf found himself staring absentmindedly at her disheveled hair.  

Ella, feeling intimidated by Adolf’s unwavering gaze, hesitated before breaking the awkward tension.  

“What’s that?”  

Snapping out of his daze, Adolf looked down at the tray he was holding.  

“Oh, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some light refreshments.”  

Ella wasn’t particularly hungry, as her stomach still felt unsettled. But in the midst of this awkward atmosphere, she felt she had to do something, so she silently reached for the bread. As she took a small bite, he poured her a glass of juice and handed it to her.  

He was wearing a shabby tunic. Encouraged by his kindness, Ella cautiously spoke.  

“I’m sorry about yesterday… Your clothes must’ve gotten really dirty.”  

Adolf, confused about what exactly she was apologizing for, quickly caught on and replied.  

“Oh, it’s nothing, Lady. I wasn’t planning on wearing those clothes again anyway.”  

Seeing her so timid and apologetic over dirtying his uniform, Adolf found her endearing. She reminded him of a fawn. Worried that she might continue to fret, Adolf reassured her.  

“Please don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”  

Though his tone was stiff, his gentle voice made Ella sigh in relief. It seemed he was willing to forgive her. As her tension eased, her sleep-deprived body grew weary. She longed to go home, take a bath, and sleep soundly.  

He’s probably used to experiences like this, so he wouldn’t want to drag this out.  

But since he had been kind to her, it didn’t feel right to leave the food he had prepared untouched. Determined to finish her meal before leaving, she nibbled on the bread and casually asked,  

“Why don’t you have some too? Oh, by the way, how should I address you?”  

Adolf, so focused on watching her small mouth chew the bread, felt ashamed for not asking her name first. He quickly replied,  

“My name is Adolf de Ludwig. Please feel free to call me Adolf. And you, Lady…?”  

Oh no.  

Ella froze in shock. The bread she had been chewing came to a halt in her mouth. Ludwig was one of the most frequently mentioned names in Imperial history.  

Still in disbelief, she asked again for confirmation.  

“Ludwig…? As in that Ludwig of the Ducal family?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Lady.”  

Oh, dear heavens.  

Did I just have a one-night stand with a member of one of the Empire’s three ducal families?